Typewriter



Jan. 8, 1929. 1,697,992

A. L. MEYER TYPEWRITER Filed Aug. 4, 1926 INVENTOR who? @ZL/ ATTORNEY vide improved and simple mechanism for Patented Jan. 8, 1929.

1,697,992 PATENT OFFICE.

, ARTHUR L. MEYER, or CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO, ASSIGNOR T ELMER HASLETT, or SA'N a FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

TYPEWRITER.

Application filed August 4, 1926. Serial No. 127,013.

This invention relates to typewriters and more particularly. to page end indicators therefor. Itis particularly desirable that a typist be informed automatically of the close approach to printing position of the end of the page or sheet being typed upon, and the invention has for an object to proindicating the close approach of the end of a sheet or page to printing position. A further object is to provide improved mechanism for this purpose, with which the typist will be informed automatically of the close approach toward printing position of an end of the page or sheet, with which the distance in advance at which the information is given may be varied, which may be applied to or incorporated in present designs of typewriters without material changes in their construction or design, and which will be automatic in action, and relatively simple and inexpensive.

Various other objects and advantages will be apparent from the' following description of an embodiment of the invention and the novel features will be particularly pointed out hereinafter in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing: I

Fig. 1 is a plan of a portion of the carriage ofa typewriter constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the same, with the section taken approximately along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is another sectional elevation of a portion of the same, with the section taken approximately along the line 3.3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a plan of a portion of the same, with a sheet inserted for printing and illustrating how 'the signal device is held inactive until the end of the page or sheet closely approaches printing position. I

Fig. 5 is a plan of a part of the signal device; and

Fig. 6 is an elevation of the same part.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the usual platen 1 is provided with platen bearing extensions 2 which are received and rotatably supported in carriage frame members 3 and 4, so that the platen may rotate about its axis in order to carry a sheet 5 to be typed upon through positions whereit may be printed upon by type bars 6. The sheet or paper 5 may be guided to the platen by the usual guide or plate 7 and held bearing rollers 8 and 9 and also by the rollersv the paper or sheet by line increments through printing position, or

other paper feedingv means, such as the usual ratchet device, may be employed to, rotate the platen by increments and line space, the sheet or paper. This ratchet device however is omitted in the interest of clarity and because it forms no tion. J

A gong or bell 13 may be mounted con centrically upon one of the platen bearing extensions 2, and held against movement along part of the present inventhe same in any suitable manner such as by a pin 14. A clutch boss 15 is secured to the adjacent face of the frame member 3 concentrically of the bearing extension 2 u on which the gong is mounted. Its end ace toward the gong is provided with clutch teeth 16, with the faces of the teeth inclined in both directions circularly about the-extension 2.

A sleex e 17 is rotatably and slidably mounted upon the same bearingextension2andupon the end face'toward the boss 15 is provided with clutch teeth 18 which with the teeth 16 of boss 15. A helical com pression spring19 is provided upon the same extension 2, under compression between the sleeve 17 and the gong 13, so as to yieldingly urge the sleeve into clutching engagement with the boss 15 but permitting endwise movement of the sleeve out 'of clutching engagement with the boss 15.

A bracket 20 is secured to and rojects from the sleeve 17 andextends at its free end toward the other end of the carriage. An arm 21 is hinged at 22 to the free end of the bracket 20, and extends along in proximity to the peripheral surface of the platen 1. A lateral arm 23 extends from the arm 21 along an end face of the platen, and terminates at its free end in a T-head 24. One branch of the T-head terminates in or carries a clapper 25 which is adapted to strike the gong as the arm 21 oscillates about pivot 22. A spring 26 secured to the bracket "20 engages with the arm 21 andyieldingly urges it in a direction to strike the gong.

separably interlock A tri lever 27 is hinged by pin 28 (Figs. 5 and 6 in a slot 29 of the other free end of the T-head, so as to oscillate about an axis which istransverse to the axis ofpivot '22. A pin in the head 24 and extends ing across the slot 29 lies in the path of. a tail of the lever 27 so as to limit movement of the lever 27' about pin 28 in one direction beyond a straight line position such as shown in-Fig. 6. A spring 31 secured to. the under edge of the head 24 bears against the tail of the lever 27 and yieldlngly urges it against the limit pin 30.

An annular ring 32 is secured, such as by screws 33, to the end of the platen adjacent the gong 13, and concentrically of the bearing extension 2. The inner edge of the ring is provided with rachet teeth 34 inclined in a common direction circularly about the bearing extension 2, and rearwardly with respect to line spacing movements of the platen. The free end of the trip lever 27 extends into thering 32 and engages with the ratchet teeth=34 as shown particularly in Fig.3. When .theiplaten is rotated in a lme spacing direction, the lever 27-- will be cammed or shifted bythe ratchet teeth 34 inwardly of the ring from the full line position in Fig. 3, and then released, whereupon the spring 26 will return it into reengagement with the teeth 34. This movement of arm 21 through lever 27 from the ring 32-will cause an actuation of the gon ,13 as the clapper hits it upon the return 0 the lever 27 into the spacebetween the teeth 34.

Thus the passage of each tooth of the ring 32-past the lever 27 will cause an actuation of the gong.

' When the arm21 is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, with the lever '27 between,

the teeth 34, its free end will'extend in a direction along, but slightly spaced, from,

- the platen surface, the spacing being suchthat when thearm 21 is moved against or closely to the platen, it will lie approximately parallel with the platen and the lever 27 W11 be out of engagement with the teeth 34. The limitation of lever 27 by the pin 30' is such that the lever is rocked idlyabout pin 28 when the platen is rotated in a direction reverse to line spacin bein returned as released by each toot by -t e spring 31. When the platen is moved to line s ace, the lever 27 is 1n effect a ridged continuation of the head 24 and the ratchet teeth roc'k the arm 21 andcause a sounding of the gong,

'be struck up from the upper face of Thus upon further rotation of the platen in a line spacing direction the gong will be sounded automatically to indicate that the end of the page or sheet is being closely approached.

To vary the interval in advance-of the end of the page before the gong is sounded, the sleeve 17 may be rotated to carry the arm 21 arcuately about the platen through a consid-' enable angular extent. To facilatate such rotation, the sleeve may be provided with an operating handle 35, and a branch or arm 36 of this handle may extend over an arcuate scale-bearing indicator plate 37 on the car: riage frame member 3, so as to indicate the different angular positions of the arm 21.

When the arm 21 is positioned to give a maximum ossible advance notice, as when in the position shown on the drawing, it may not be closely confined to the platen, with the result that the gong may be reached. To prevent this, a bearing38 fmaly e paper guide late 7 which is usually f metal, and a s aft 39 is rotatably mounted in this bearing. One' end of the shaft "18 .souhded before the end of the page is bent into the form of a crank 40 and upon the crank arm of this crank a roller 41 is .rotatably mounted. A handle arm '42 is secured upon the other end of the shaft 39, adiac'ent one end of the platen, by which the 'shaft 39' may be oscillated to carry the roller into and out of engagement with the platen, the point of engagementxbeing'approximately. at the maximum rearward position of the arm 21..

The paper or sheet to be typed upon is passed over the roller. 41 and between it and the platen and the roller confines the paper or sheet closely to the platen and thus holds the arm 21 closely to the platen unt1l the end of the-page is about reached and operation ofvthe gon is desired as. an indication of the page en An intermediate portion of the shaft 39 may bewofi'set slightly, as at 43, and a leaf spring 44 secured to the paper or sheet guide 7, w th the free end bearing upon the offset portion 43. The offset portion $3 is so positioned angularly with respect to the crank 40, that "the spr1ng'44 W111 its shift the shaft 39 in either direction from a position between its limits of movement, as determined by the engagement of the roller41 witheither the platen or the paper guide 7 g In the operation of a'typewriter equ pped with 'such a page end indicator, the handle 42 is operated to remove the roller 41 from contact with the platen. The paper or sheet 5' to be typed uponis then inserted over the roller 41 and around the laten in the usual manner. The handle 42 1s then operated to shift the roller 41 against the platen and confine the sheet or paper closely to the carry the lever 27 into the position of Fig.

3 and under the influence and control of the ring 32. Thereafter the platen is rotated by increments in line spacing, the arm 21 will be rocked against the'action oi" spring 26 to carry the clapper away from the gong and then released, owing to the camming action of the teeth 34 upon the lever 27. When re-' leased the arm 21 is returned to the position of Fig. 1 by the spring 26, at which time the gong will strike the clapper and indicate the approach of a page end. The number of ratchet teeth or their length may correspond to the line spaces, so that the gong will be sounded once for each line spacing movement of the platen. If the platen is turned backwardly for any reason, the lever 27 will rock idly against spring 31 without shifting the arm 21.

The extent of advance information of the approach of a page end may be varied by shifting the handle 35 angularly. During such angular movement the clutch teeth of the sleeve 17 will cam or slide over the teeth of the boss 15, the spring. 19 permitting endwise movement of the sleeve for this purpose.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the-invention, may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a typewriting machine, a rotary platen having teeth arranged in a row in the direction of rotation, a signal bell, a clapper arm for said bell operated by said teeth during rotation of the platen for line spacing, said arm having a portion extending beneath a sheet which is in printing position on said platen, and at a point on said platen shortly in advance of said printingposition, said portion being held by said sheet out of engagement with said teeth, said arm being yieldingly biased into operative relation to said teeth for operation thereby when released by passage thereby of the lower marginof said sheet, as the latter approaches printing position.

2. The typewriter substantially as set forth in claim 1, said arm being adjustable angularly about'the axis of rotation of said platen to vary the point in advance of printing position on the platen where the release of said arm occurs.

3. The typewriter substantially as set forth in claim .1, said arm being adjustable angularly about the axis of rotation of said platen to vary the point in advance of printing position on the platen where the release of said arm occurs, said bell being mounted approximately concentrically of the platen to permit adjustment of-said arm.

ARTHUR L. MEYER. 

